To Fight Against Fate

Priscilla took her time getting ready on the day she would be able to finally meet Vocrel Bersk. She had managed to wheedle out more information about the man from Lucilla the previous day.

Vocrel was actually the youngest son of a margrave who helped manage the border with Ichthor with the Jencard Duchy. Margrave Bersk was a renowned general, and his elder two sons and daughter took after him, stoic and studious. Vocrel was markedly different from the rest of his family, known as a ladies' man with a keen appreciation for the arts, sponsoring many up and coming singers in Roydorn, where he spent much of his time when not at the capital. He was said to enjoy watching drama of any kind, fictional or otherwise.

Lucilla said that Vocrel was deeper than his reputation suggested, and that he liked puzzles a great deal, which had been what he and Peligran originally bonded over.

"I'm not as talented with word play as Peli is — was," Lucilla corrected herself, twisting her handkerchief at her slip, "but Mister Bersk was always kind to me even when I could not keep up."

Priscilla wouldn't consider herself a super fan of puzzles, but she knew that creativity more than knowledge was what made one good at solving puzzles. People that liked puzzles were people that enjoyed a challenge, enjoyed having to exercise their mind, and that suggested Vocrel's mind was sharp as a pin no matter what type of front he put on for the masses.

As it was a more casual gathering, Priscilla put on a light, meadow green dress with a halter neckline, which covered her entire chest and back while exposing her shoulders and arms to the cold. She had to wear a white shawl over it so she didn't freeze, which went well with the white ruffles at the bottom of the dress and the thick white bow around her waist. The shoes were a sturdy yet fashionable low heeled pair of brown boots Priscilla could sprint in if she needed to (which she had tested to make sure). A pair of lacy white gloves and a parasol completed the outfit, which overjoyed Asha because the artifact was absolutely in love with the parasol.

The outfit gave Priscilla almost a girlish air, softening her sharp features, especially when she pulled back the two locks of hair that normally framed her face and tied it off with a white ribbon. A soft pink lipstick, the lightest dusting of sparkly white eye shadow, a small green reticule looped around her wrists, and gold studs added a final layer of feminine softness that amused Priscilla.

The power of fashion never failed to amaze her.

She certainly didn't look like she could beat a man to death, and Priscilla hoped that the difference between her looks and Lucilla's introductions intrigued Vocrel enough to draw him in.

"Master, you look so dashing," Asha said in awe as Priscilla gave an experimental whirl of her parasol.

Priscilla laughed. "Oh, Asha, I'm not supposed to be dashing right now. I'm supposed to look coyishly frail and approachable."

"If you want to look frail," Asha said, amusement clear in its voice and in the bond, "you better keep that shawl on so no one sees your muscles, Master."

"Ah," Priscilla said, glancing at the mirror, "you do make a good point. Very well, I shall hide my well earned gains and pretend I'll faint at the sight of a spider."

Asha's laughter filled Priscilla with confidence as she walked out of her room and down the stairs. She encountered Sulaiman on the stairs, who paused in the middle of the step as he took sight of her.

"What do you think?" Priscilla asked, fluttering her eyelashes as she took another step down. "Appropriately non-threatening?"

Sulaiman snorted and then looked surprised with himself.

"Anyone that knows you," Sulaiman said with a wry amusement as he took another step up so that their faces were at the same height, "knows that that parasol could easily be turned into a deadly weapon."

Priscilla grinned wickedly, cocking her head. Being able to use the parasol as an improvised weapon was the entire reason she was taking it with her.

Sulaiman frowned, tilting his head. "You probably shouldn't smile like that."

"What's wrong with my smile?" Priscilla asked, her smile turning more into a viscous baring of teeth.

"It's far too charming in that shade of pink," Sulaiman said, his frown thoughtful and voice utterly sincere. "You'll have the stupid nobles fall for you like the beast Beowulf if you smile at them like that, which may help your mission, but will more likely just make it far more complicated."

Priscilla's eyes went wide as she registered exactly what he was saying.

The fact Sulaiman was still staring at her lips thoughtfully flustered Priscilla, making her remember Roydorn, to remember the moment by the campfire when he leaned to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

It always made Priscilla inwardly preen when she got a compliment from Sulaiman and had each one ingrained in her psyche right next to her internal TDEpedia. Priscilla still wasn't over the fact that Sulaiman, who was one of if not the most intelligent person in Illnyea's party, had called her smart. He wasn't a man who said a compliment simply to make someone feel better, he stood by his words because to him, they were the truth.

For him to now say, with complete sincerity out of nowhere, that she was charming had completely stunlocked her as her cheeks steadily grew red. It wasn't even that dramatic of a compliment, and she didn't know why it affected her as much as it did, except, maybe, because it meant that Sulaiman thought she was charming.

She could not help but abruptly notice that they were close enough to kiss, both of their heads tilted just so that if either of them leaned forward, just a tiny bit closer…

Sulaiman froze when he caught sight of her blush. His own cheeks went splotchy like he too had been surprised by the words that had left his mouth, and had noticed the distance between them the same time she did.

For a moment, they just stared at each other with red cheeks, neither knowing exactly what to do. It was hard to think of a quip to lighten the atmosphere, to be able to wield ignorance as a shield.

"You ought to be careful saying things like that about my lips, Sulaiman," Priscilla said, her lips not following orders and failing to achieve a joking tone, turning far too serious when she spoke so softly, "you might give a girl wrong ideas."

Sulaiman swallowed hard as he glanced down to her lips once more, like he could not help it. Priscilla had to take a slow, controlled breath, parting her mouth though she had no idea what she was about to say.

"You look amazing Priscilla!" Illnyea's voice cut through the rising tension with all the grace of a doberman puppy sliding on tile through a glass door.

Illnyea was at the bottom of the stairs to the main floor, staring at Priscilla with a wide smile. The smile faltered for a moment as Sulaiman abruptly stepped to the side and walked upstairs, mumbling, "Don't get arrested."

"I would never get caught," Priscilla said as airily as she could, tossing her hair and the thoughts of kissing Sulaiman out of her mind in a single motion.

Illnyea stared at Sulaiman's back and then looked at Priscilla's still red face, blinking a few times like she didn't know what to think.

"Thanks for the compliment, 'nyea," Priscilla continued, not giving Illnyea a chance to ask what had happened. "Sorry I didn't let you help this time. For the tea party in a few days, I'll definitely find you before I get ready."

Illnyea opened her mouth and then closed it as she gave Priscilla an assessing look. Priscilla ignored that look, brightly smiling as she continued down.

"I love the parasol," Illnyea finally said as Priscilla reached the bottom stairs.

"Isn't it great?" Priscilla said, giving a twirl. "When I can, I want to reinforce it with steel."

Illnyea's expression grew animated, sufficiently distracted from her previous suspicions.

"Oh! Oh, that's a fantastic idea! Give me, like, a few days and I think I can come up with a schematic with Arnold and Lanme!" Some of the enthusiasm faded from Illnyea as she bit her lip. "But I know I'm still learning, so I totally understand if you'd like to not risk your things."

"As soon as I get home, you can do what you like with this," Priscilla promised. "I trust you."

Priscilla reveled in the sunny expression she got in return and the effusive thanks Illnyea gave her.

Illnyea had to leave shortly after that to go off to the workshop, saying that she'd probably be home late today but wanted to hear about how the party went when she came back. Priscilla promised to relay all the salacious gossip and Illnyea followed after Arnold with a wide grin.

The door shut behind her just before Kavil finally came downstairs, sighing with frustration. He was dressed in a long-sleeved white button down shirt with a stiff, starched collar and a pair of high waisted dark slacks. He also wore a dark purple overcoat that was far more complicated and ended near his calves. It had a series of gold chains that were supposed to be attached to just under the right of the collar and then stretched to his left shoulder that would show off the delicately attached pearls. The buttons were also made of small pearls that had been carved into small flowers. Kavil's ears weren't pierced, but they had found a gold ear cuff inlaid with topaz that looked quite nice, and his black shoes and gloves completed the outfit nicely.

The only thing that ruined his look was that the coat's chains were currently a tangled mess around Kavil's hands and the fact he hadn't yet put on his gloves.

"I can't quite get this to sit right," Kavil said, staring at Priscilla with a pleading expression.

"Come here," Priscilla said fondly, taking off her gloves so the gold didn't catch on the lace. She began to free the metal from Kavil's fingers one by one, taking care to be gentle so none of the pearls were damaged.

Once the chains were untangled, she began arranging the gold artfully over Kavil's shoulder like it had been over the mannequin.

"Don't make any big movements," Priscilla said as she looped the chain onto the subtle loop on the coat and smoothed the fabric so it sat right, "and I think it'll stay."

But before Priscilla could step back, Kavil caught her hand as it brushed over his chest. Kavil's skin was soft and pleasantly warm compared to the coolness of the metal.

Slowly, he brought her fingertips up to his lips, smiling as he kissed them softly.

"Thank you, Lady Sunscarre," Kavil said, "I would have been lost without you."

Though it was clear that Kavil was purposefully trying to be silly, Priscilla couldn't help but be slightly flustered by the chivalric action since her emotions were still out of sorts from the whole Sulaiman debacle earlier.

"Lord McCue," Priscilla said as dignified as she could as she reclaimed her hand, "it was my pleasure to help you, but I am sure that you would have escaped your gold prison soon enough."

"Perhaps," Kavil said, eyes still sparkling with amusement, "but it would have been a most arduous endeavor."

Priscilla laughed, shooting Kavil an amused look. "Are you going to talk like this all day? Lucilla told us to speak comfortably."

"It's kind of fun," Kavil said with a shrug. "Makes me feel like we're in a play or something."

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"True enough," Priscilla said as she reached for her long, beige overcoat because it was cold as fuck outside. "I'm going to have to watch my mouth so I don't offend the noble's delicate sensibilities by dropping a fuck every few words."

Kavil laughed as Priscilla put on her gloves and he put on his own as well.

"If you manage to go the entire event without swearing," Kavil said with a cheeky grin, "I'll cook you whatever you want tomorrow."

"Get ready to make me so many fucking custards, Kavil," Priscilla said, which just made Kavil laugh.

There was a crisp knock on the door and after Kavil gave one last scritch to a sleeping Perry's head, they opened the door. Lucilla surveyed them with a critical eye before nodding in approval.

The noblewoman had arranged for another water cab, a slightly fancier boat than last time with cloth walls that helped to block the wind. For a final time, they went over what guests Lucilla knew was going to be there, and by the time they approached the formal entrance to the Noble District, Priscilla felt as confident as she could be going into this party.

As long as Priscilla didn't royally fuck up her first impressions, today would be productive.

The noble district had a distinctly different feel from the other districts. Each of the houses were at least twice the size of buildings in the outer district, with some even cultivating gardens of water plants in the canal closest to them, bright flowers peeking above the water line. The windows were larger here and free from any dust or water spots, as if to proclaim they could both afford to install the glass panes and to hire people to keep it spotless despite living next to the sea. Every house seemed to be trying to outdo its neighbors, competing to see who could give out the haughtiest and unwelcoming aura. Priscilla spotted a variety of animals and flower motifs built into the architecture they passed, and recognized a few of them as symbols of noble houses from Lucilla's teachings.

Vocrel Bersk lived on the north side of the city, and the home was near enough to the castle to be considered prized property according to Lucilla. The home was fifty feet wide in the front but stretched up nearly three stories with plenty of balconies that overlooked the canal. Green vines spilled out over the edge of the balconies, drifting back and forth in the sea breeze, and the smell of flowers cut through the salty air. Gold trimmed the entire house and roof, and Priscilla couldn't be sure if it was just paint or true metal.

They stopped a street down from the home rather than attempt to dismount on Vocrel's porch. Lucilla paid the cabbie and received a smooth coin she would be able to activate later when they needed a ride back.

"Remember dears," Lucilla said as they walked up to the large pair of oak doors that had a snarling beast carved into it, its eyes twinkling black jewels, "you can always politely excuse yourself if you need to extricate yourself from a conversation and claim you need to speak with me about something. But I have full faith in your ability to carry conversations, so I doubt either of you will need to resort to that."

Priscilla and Kavil both nodded before they settled themselves the way Lucilla had told them to, with Priscilla's hand tucked into the crook of Kavil's elbow. Kavil was just an inch or two shorter than Priscilla, so they slotted together nicely as Priscilla hooked her parasol over her other elbow. Lucilla pulled back the white metal knocker that was carved into a badger's open maw and rapped it twice against the wood and then three more times in rapid succession.

The doors opened silently, inviting them inside. The movement was accompanied by a prickle of magic against Priscilla skin. She kept a straight face despite wanting to roll her eyes at the theatrics.

Lucilla strode forward with her head held high and they quickly followed suit. They were greeted by a pair of butlers in the roomy entrance hall. Priscilla's eyes were immediately drawn to the wall length painting of a full scale battle.

One of the armies were dressed in bright reds and blues, and many looked to be drawing upon elemental magic to protect themselves. Their expressions were desperate, and they seemed to be attempting to buy enough time to retreat as they summoned earthen walls or shields of ice. The apparent victors in the battle were dressed in a startling shade of white and held aloft a banner with a snarling badger head. They rode upon badgers the size of a human and mages were slaughtered underneath the beast's claws and fangs. Muted but harsh grays and reds colored the sky above the battle as if the heavens themselves were battling. Priscilla was able to spot the plaque underneath reading, "The Battle of Jainesberg."

Priscilla knew that badgers were the symbol of the Bersk family, representing their relentless natures, but she hadn't realized they may have ridden literal fucking war badgers. It was so incredibly cool that Priscilla was sad that she couldn't immediately begin interrogating the butler about if the Bersks still had any more around, and instead had to mutely hand off her coat.

"Sweet Gaelea," Kavil whispered as they were led upstairs to where the party was actually happening.

An entire floor of this mansion had been turned into a magical, rainforest glen. The air here was warm heavy with humidity without a hint of salt or cold from outside. Large ferns had been curved into the shape of chairs, and wide flowers with bumpy red leaves served as tables. Miniature trees lined the edge of the room, their branches stretching upwards to cover the ceiling entirely, giving the illusion of being underneath a forest's canopy. Faux sunlight drifted in through the leaves but not enough to fully illuminate the room, and Priscilla realized that all of the balconies she had seen from the other side had been covered so no outside light affected the ambiance. The floor had the look of dirt yet it felt like tile underneath their shoes as they walked further in.

There was a chirping call of birds that Priscilla thought was yet another magical effect before she saw a goddamn Toucan fly across the room to settle on a man's shoulder.

Now that Priscilla had seen the bird, she spotted a few other animals scattered about the room — a bright orange snake crawling in the canopy, a twitchy monkey with wide yellow eyes eating fruit in the divot of a palm tree, and a flock of purple and white butterflies fluttering from one group of flowers to the next. She thought the snake might be a Round Tri-Horned Tree Snake, which was supposed to have three small horns sticking out of its nose, but she couldn't quite tell for certain. The monkey had a long white tail and white belly, but the rest of it was light brown. As Priscilla watched, she realized that the brown fur was growing steadily darker to match the bark behind it and damn was that cool. She had no idea what species the monkey was but when she got home, she planned to double check the bestiary for that and the butterflies because she swore the insects were giving off a shimmering blue powder as they flew by.

Priscilla felt a pang of regret that she was here to play politics rather than being able to enjoy looking at the animals.

Lucilla's gaze swept over the room and her eyebrows rose infinitesimally. "Oh my, that is a surprise."

"What is it?" Priscilla asked as they walked further into the room, the butlers closing the door behind them.

"Marquess Maneri is here," Lucilla murmured, her face placid. "By the monkey."

The Marquess was not a particularly tall man, but he was visually striking. He had a full head of icy gray hair that had been artfully styled so only the tips curled upwards, reminiscent of a crown. Even from across the room, Priscilla could tell that Maneri's clothes were made of the highest quality fabric, the blue deep and rich in a way that Priscilla thought could only be achieved from indigo dye. His shoes were utterly spotless, the shine so intense that his surroundings were reflected perfectly within. Sapphire cuff links gleamed in the light and he had several thick gold rings on his left hand, which was wrapped atop a cane.

As he turned to coolly regard his conversation partner cooing over the monkey, Priscilla caught sight of the Marquess's face. He had tidy facial hair that made his jaw sharper, a well-groomed mustache above pursed lips. Despite the gray hair, Priscilla would think Marquess Maneri was in his early forties at most based on the lines around his face. Of course, this was a world of magic, so perhaps he was much older than he appeared.

Priscilla knew that the marquess was the leader of the noble faction that believed they deserved more power than the king currently allowed. It was interesting that he was at a gathering hosted by a neutral noble like Vocrel.

"Should we talk with him?" Kavil asked in a low voice as they went to the refreshment table.

Lucilla hummed in thought as she picked up a champagne flute, swirling the alcohol with one hand.

"It would not hurt," Lucilla said, looking under her lashes back at the Marquess. "I have made his acquaintance before, so it would not be impertinent. But we…"

Whatever Lucilla was about to say was cut off by a boisterous voice saying, "Lady Beaukin! What a pleasant surprise, perhaps this won't be so boring after all."

They all turned to see a woman in her fifties walking determinedly in their direction, looking like she had just arrived. Her black hair elegantly flowed over her shoulders, hidden strands of gold catching the light as she moved. Black kohl rimmed her eyes, making the startlingly clear gray irises pop. She was wearing a multi-layered, dark red dress that was trimmed with gold along the high collar and hems. The dress had long flowing sleeves dappled with white and black that were reminiscent of a butterfly's wings. Around the woman's neck was a large ruby choker surrounded by small diamonds woven into the gold that had to be at least 200 gold based on the prices Priscilla had seen at the jewelers.

She had a round face with full lips painted a bright vivid red that were curled into a satisfied smile, with delicately thin eyebrows raised high in surprise.

Lucilla sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of the woman, but hid her emotions under a smile as she said, "Countess Siroth, what a surprise to see you here."

Kavil's arm tensed under Priscilla's fingers, and she had to take in a slow breath herself to keep from outwardly reacting.

To invite the leaders of the opposing noble factions to one party was bold as fuck, but made perfect sense if Vocrel was bored and wanted to manufacture his own drama. This was supposed to be a 'relatively informal' party according to Lucilla, but it had all the ingredients to become a clusterfuck instead. Priscilla could only hope that she and Kavil made it out unscathed.

Countess Siroth kissed both of Lucilla's cheeks before pulling back and looking the other noblewoman up and down.

"I heard about that nasty business that took your poor Lord Esteer," Countess Siroth said, her exuberance momentarily darkening with sympathy, "and I wanted to say again, I am so sorry for your loss."

Priscilla couldn't tell if the woman's sympathy was real because there was something a little contrived about her expression at the moment, like the countess had practiced it a thousand times in front of a mirror. The only evidence of Lucilla's own emotions was a carefully controlled blink.

"Thank you again for your condolences," Lucilla said softly. "Your letter brought much comfort when I received it."

"That was the least I could do, when I have known you and Lord Esteer for so long," the countess said. She arched one perfectly plucked eyebrow as she caught sight of Priscilla and Kavil. Her gray gaze was assessing, taking in every inch of them in the space of a blink, and her lips curved into a smile.

"And who are your young companions, Lady Beaukin?" Countess Siroth asked. "I don't believe I recognize either of them."

"I have only had the luxury of their acquaintance for a short while now," Lucilla said demurely. "Please allow me to introduce to you two of my saviors, Miss Priscilla Sunscarre and Mister Kavil McCue."

"Saviors?" Countess Siroth said with interest. "Whatever do you mean?"

"It was these adventurers that fought off the beasts that killed Peli," Lucilla said, voice wavering on her friend's name. "Mister McCue is an accomplished healer and it was he who ensured many of the injured survived to see another day, and — "

Countess Siroth's gaze sharpened as she focused on Kavil, cutting off whatever Lucilla was about to say next as she said, "Oh, how remarkable. You seem so young to be so accomplished in the healing arts."

Kavil smiled in a way that showed off his dimples and country boy charm.

"I have been practicing since I was a young boy," Kavil said, "but it wasn't until I started traveling with Priscilla that I had the chance to do more than heal sick animals."

The countess let out a thoughtful hum as she now looked at Priscilla.

"And what is it that you do, Miss Sunscarre?" the countess asked. Her voice was not quite pointed, but there was something lurking behind her pleasant tone that suggested she hoped she would not be disappointed.

"I'm not nearly as impressive as Kavil," Priscilla said bashfully, sending Kavil a fond look, "but I'm a fair fighter, so I can help keep him safe as he does the important work."

"A fighter?" the countess repeated, her tone politely neutral. "Truly?"

The countess was clearly unimpressed by Pricilla's answer and may not even believe her based on the slight furrow between her brows, but that was fine with Priscilla. Priscilla had chosen to dress in a way that hid her sharp edges, because it was better to be underestimated, to fade into the background. The countess was not the person Priscilla needed to ingratiate herself to, so Priscilla let the woman's judgement slide off her like water on duck's feathers.

But apparently it was not so fine for someone else.

"Priscilla's amazing on the battlefield," Kavil said, resting his hand on Priscilla's and squeezing. "The first time I saw her, I thought an avenging angel had descended to save me."

Priscilla shot Kavil a half-exasperated smile, hoping that he wouldn't talk her up too much. "Don't lie to the countess, you're the one who got me out of a sticky situation."

"But without you, I don't think any of us would have made it through the night," Kavil pointed out. "I'm pretty sure my village planned to put up a plaque in your honor."

Priscilla just shook her head at his stubbornness though she couldn't help sending a fond look.

The countess looked thoughtfully between the two of them.

"You have chosen interesting companions, Lady Lucilla," the countess said, turning towards the other noble woman.

"I do quite like them," Lucilla said. "Their presence has helped keep me sane with Peli's passing."

Countess Siroth pursed her lips at the reminder and inclined her head. Her gaze turned towards the rest of the party, as if she was now bored with the conversation. When she saw the marquess, her face twisted into a scowl.

"Well, I shan't keep you any longer," the countess said, not looking towards them once. "Good day, Lady Beaukin, Mister McCue, Miss Sunscarre."

"It was an honor to meet you, Countess," Priscilla said, pulling up the edge of her skirt in a small curtsey. Kavil echoed her words with a bow of his own.

The countess waved absentmindedly towards them before she began stalking towards the marquess like a poisonous butterfly intent on choking her opponent with saccharine sincerity. He had caught sight of her as well and his expression turned thunderous, both hands now resting on his cane like he was contemplating using it as a weapon. The countess picked up a champagne flute as she passed by a waiter, downing it in a single gulp as she continued on her warpath.

"Oh dear," Lucilla said under her breath. "How about we go over there?"

She was gesturing to the exact opposite end of the room.

"Let's," Kavil agreed just as the countess stopped before the marquess, arms crossed underneath her bosom. Marquess Maneri's conversation partner quickly fled the scene with the monkey in their arms and others began to give the marquess and countess a wide berth as if they were afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

Priscilla was a little disappointed that they couldn't attempt to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two of the most important nobles in Kavendash as those were the two people Priscilla thought were most likely to have connections to the cult. But it was probably better to stay uninvolved in whatever chaos was about to happen.

She snuck one last glance at the standoff. The anger and disdain was practically tangible in the air. If things were this bad between the two factions that it was on sight with their leaders, Priscilla suspected that they supported different candidates for the throne.

That made her wonder just how bloody the battle for the throne might be — and how saving the duchess might change the outcome.